Planning application submitted for upgrades to community centre in South Leitrim
Proposed works at the community centre include a new two-storey rear extension, internal alterations, and energy-efficient improvements like solar panels.
A voluntary organisation in Leitrim has applied for planning permission to Leitrim County Council to carry out works at its community centre.
The application has been submitted by Margaret of New Orleans Community Association CLG, a voluntary organisation based in Carrigallen.
The group was established in 2008 with the aim of creating a memorial cottage to commemorate Margaret Haughery, an Irish immigrant who emigrated from Leitrim to the United States at the age of five and later became a renowned philanthropist.
The group has undertaken a variety of projects over the years and opened the renovated memorial cottage in 2013. In 2024, the association became the owners of Margaret’s Corner Community Centre in Carrigallen.
The community centre is actively used by a range of groups, including MSLETB, and regularly hosts events such as coffee mornings and birthday parties. The initiative to develop the community centre arose following the war in Ukraine and the subsequent influx of evacuees to Carrigallen, which highlighted the need for a shared community and communal space.
In the planning application submitted by the association, permission is being sought to demolish an existing two-storey extension to the rear of the community centre, which is located on Main Street, Carrigallen. The proposal includes the construction of a new two-storey extension at the rear of the building, incorporating a stairwell, a lift, a kitchen, a meeting room, and toilet facilities.
The planning application also proposes alterations to the existing building’s internal layout, including changes to floor plans and elevations. In addition, the association is seeking permission to install solar panels on both the front and rear slopes of the existing roof, as well as to connect the development to existing services, together with all associated site works.
The application was submitted on December 19, 2025, and a decision is expected to be made by February 21.